Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39757281›Full record

ArticleCellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS2025

18 kDa TSPO targeting drives polarized human microglia towards a protective and restorative neurosteroidome profile.

Lorenzo Germelli, Elisa Angeloni, Eleonora Da Pozzo, Chiara Tremolanti, Martina De Felice, Chiara Giacomelli, Laura Marchetti, Beatrice Muscatello, Elisabetta Barresi, Sabrina Taliani and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Lorenzo GermelliDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7318-7545
Elisa AngeloniDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6122-7327
Eleonora Da PozzoDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy. eleonora.dapozzo@unipi.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4762-8949
Chiara TremolantiDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3113-7099
Martina De FeliceDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7704-8705
Chiara GiacomelliDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6244-602X
Laura MarchettiDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2110-9481
Beatrice MuscatelloDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
Elisabetta BarresiDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9814-7195
Sabrina TalianiDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8675-939X
Federico Da Settimo PassettiDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7897-7917
Maria Letizia TrincavelliDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8124-977X
Claudia MartiniDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9379-3027
Barbara CostaDepartment of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7598-1275

Funding

Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca 2017MT3993Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca ECS_00000017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

An aberrant pro-inflammatory microglia response has been associated with most neurodegenerative disorders. Identifying microglia druggable checkpoints to restore their physiological functions is an emerging challenge. Recent data have shown that microglia produce de novo neurosteroids, endogenous molecules exerting potent anti-inflammatory activity. Here, the role of neurosteroidogenesis in the modulation of microgliosis was explored in human microglia cells. In particular, CYP11A1 inhibition or TSPO pharmacological stimulation, crucial proteins involved in the rate limiting step of the neurosteroidogenic cascade, were employed. CYP11A1 inhibition led microglia to acquire a dysfunctional and hyperreactive phenotype, while selective TSPO ligands promoted the establishment of an anti-inflammatory one. Analysis of specific neurosteroid levels (neurosteroidome) identified allopregnanolone/pregnanolone as crucial metabolites allowing controlled activation of microglia. Importantly, the neurosteroid shift towards a greater androgenic/estrogenic profile supported the transition from pro-inflammatory to neuroprotective microglia, suggesting the therapeutic potential of de novo microglial neurosteroidogenesis stimulation for neuroinflammatory-related disorders.

Indexed as

MicrogliaNeurosteroidsReceptors, GABACholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage EnzymeHumansPregnanoloneCholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage EnzymeNeurosteroidsPregnanoloneReceptors, GABATSPO protein, human18 kDa Translocator Protein (TSPO)MicrogliaNeuroinflammationNeurosteroidomeTSPO ligand

Identifiers

PMID39757281
PMCPMC11700965

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.